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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29789217">An Ever-Fixed Mark</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epivet/pseuds/Epivet'>Epivet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Good Omens (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), Ineffable Idiots (Good Omens), It begins in a garden, M/M, Pepper Fighting the Patriarchy, Shakespearean Sonnets</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 03:14:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>560</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29789217</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epivet/pseuds/Epivet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Crowley is embarrassed and Aziraphale is jealous, both rather belatedly.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Name That Author Round 11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>An Ever-Fixed Mark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for Round 11 of Name That Author<br/>Prompt: bulls-eye or bingo<br/>Word limit: 500 (additional words for this final version)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As always, it began in a garden. An angel and a witch stared in shock at a demon.</p><p>“Crowley, when I asked for your help with the juniper bush, I didn’t expect you to yell at it for fifteen minutes!” Anathema exclaimed.</p><p>“Gotta let them know who’s boss, Book Girl.” Crowley shot a final menacing look at the offending shrub before all three turned toward the voices coming from the lane.</p><p>“A whole sonnet!” lamented Brian as The Them funneled through the front gate at Jasmine Cottage.</p><p>“And why does it have to be Shakespeare?” Pepper chimed in. “Why not Elizabeth Barrett Browning or Edna St. Vincent Millay? Stupid patriarchy.”</p><p>Aziraphale smiled in delight. “What’s this about Shakespeare?”</p><p>“We have to recite a sonnet for class,” Wensleydale explained. “And Brian’s never been good with memorization.”</p><p>“Oh, surely we can find a sonnet that speaks to you, dear child.” Aziraphale all but glowed at the prospect of indoctrinating The Them into the words of The Bard of Avon. “Perhaps something familiar? <em>‘Shall I compare thee to a summer breeze?</em>’”</p><p>The angel resolutely ignored the gagging sounds from Pepper and the snickering from Adam.</p><p>Crowley joined their chorus with a groan. “The kid’s right. Shakespeare wasn’t all that great.”</p><p>“What!” Aziraphale’s indignation was almost palpable. “The very idea!”</p><p>The Them settled in for what they now expected would be a very entertaining afternoon.</p><p>“You can’t be serious, Crowley.” Aziraphale offered, “‘<em>So are you to my thoughts as food to life</em>?’”</p><p>“Booooring,” Crowley countered, oddly nervous as he began to pace behind Aziraphale.</p><p>“What about ‘<em>Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments</em>?’”</p><p>Crowley froze.</p><p>Emboldened, Aziraphale continued, “<em>‘Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds</em>.’”</p><p>The demon backed away. Aziraphale tilted his head quizzically as he recited more slowly, carefully weighing the words. “‘<em>Or bends with the remover to remove. O no, it is an ever-fixed mark, a star….</em>’”</p><p>A soft blush crept up Crowley’s neck. Aziraphale skipped ahead in the poem he knew by heart. “‘<em>Love’s not Time’s fool. Love bears it out even to the edge of doom</em>.’ Or perhaps Doomsday, my dear?”</p><p>“He was a magpie collecting bits from everyone else.” Crowley sputtered, cheeks now a proper red. “You never knew when he would take your casual conversation and truss it up as his own in a play. Or <em>worse</em>, in his poetry.”</p><p>“So, you knew him. But you never said anything.” Aziraphale closed his eyes, reaching back into his memories. “Is that why he rushed over to us at The Globe as soon as you joined me?”</p><p>“Well…” he drawled, avoiding the angel’s gaze.</p><p>“And Burbage!” huffed Aziraphale, gathering steam. “That’s why he addressed you so inappropriately! The way he was looking at you! As if, as if…”</p><p>Crowley threw his head back and guffawed, “Angel, are you jealous four hundred years late?”</p><p>Aziraphale repeatedly opened and closed his mouth. The Them sat transfixed by the drama until Brian sniggered. He immediately regretted drawing their attention.</p><p>“Oi! Aren’t you lot supposed to be headed inside to fix whatever Newt did to the Wi-Fi?”</p><p>“Nice job, Brian,” muttered Wensleydale as Anathema escorted The Them out of the garden and into Jasmine Cottage.</p><p>His voice soft in the now quiet garden, Aziraphale hummed, “Even back then?”</p><p>“From the very beginning, angel. From the first garden.”</p><p> </p>
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